Santa Clara University
Santa Clara, CA · Private · Midsize city · SCU
Private institution in Santa Clara, CA · 6,235 undergraduates · 44% acceptance rate · $109,183 median earnings 10 years after entry.
- Top 1%Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- Top 1%Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- Top 5%Graduation rate (4-year)
- Top 6%Median ACT
Stats
College Scorecard figures, each with where this school sits nationally among institutions that report the same measure. A dash means the school does not report it.
Cost
- Average net price
- $50,9591,980th cheapest of 1,985 reporting
- In-state tuition & fees
- $59,2411,936th cheapest of 2,042 reporting
- Out-of-state tuition & fees
- $59,2411,936th cheapest of 2,042 reporting
- Cost of attendance
- $77,7681,891st cheapest of 1,985 reporting
- Median graduate debt
- $19,162566th lowest of 1,880 reporting
Outcomes
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $109,18320th highest of 1,969 reporting
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $91,19823rd highest of 1,964 reporting
- Graduation rate (4-year)
- 88.4%97th highest of 2,031 reporting
- Full-time retention
- 93.6%161st highest of 1,853 reporting
Admissions
- Acceptance rate
- 43.8%211th most selective of 1,608 reporting
- Average SAT
- 141784th highest of 1,024 reporting
- Median ACT
- 3258th highest of 954 reporting
Campus
- Undergraduates
- 6,235408th largest of 2,162 reporting
- Student-faculty ratio
- 10.0:1436th smallest of 2,159 reporting
- Pell Grant share
- 10.9%2,051st highest of 2,140 reporting
Nearest large-hub airport: 31 mi (SFO)
On 11 of our 111 lists
Every published ranking this school appears on, with its rank there.
Applying
- EDNov 1
- ED IIJan 7
- EANov 1
- RDJan 7
- Common App member
- Yes
- Application fee
- $75
- Personal essay
- Required
- Writing supplement
- No
Deadlines and essay flags come from the Common App Requirements Grid, joined by school name. Always confirm against the school’s own admissions page before applying.
Best-paying fields of study
Median earnings one and two years after graduating, by field. Showing 12 of 45 reported programs.
| Field | Level | 1 yr | 2 yr |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mathematics and Computer ScienceMultidisciplinary Studies | bachelors | $93,076 | — |
| Computer EngineeringEngineering | bachelors | $90,146 | $103,449 |
| Civil EngineeringEngineering | bachelors | $75,383 | $79,473 |
| Management Information Systems and ServicesBusiness | bachelors | $74,576 | $80,391 |
| Mechanical EngineeringEngineering | bachelors | $74,576 | $74,576 |
| Finance and Financial Management ServicesBusiness | bachelors | $73,007 | $70,456 |
| Accounting and Related ServicesBusiness | bachelors | $69,921 | $69,740 |
| Human Resources Management and ServicesBusiness | bachelors | $64,493 | $44,170 |
| Biomedical/Medical EngineeringEngineering | bachelors | $63,997 | $64,773 |
| EconomicsSocial Sciences | bachelors | $63,005 | $68,379 |
| MarketingBusiness | bachelors | $57,770 | $56,867 |
| Communication and Media StudiesCommunications | bachelors | $52,420 | $44,858 |
Campus facts
- Religious affiliation: Roman Catholicsource
- Founded in 1851source
- Athletic nickname: "Broncos"source
- Competes in West Coast Conferencesource
- School colors: Red and Whitesource
- Mascot: Bucky Broncosource
- Motto: "Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam (Latin)"source
- Campus size: about 106 acressource
- Formerly known as "Santa Clara College (1851), University of Santa Clara" (1912–1984)source
- Athletic conference: West Coast Conferencesource
- A ACCU]] / [[National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program institutionsource
- A Space-grant]] institutionsource
- Fight song: ""[[Fight for Santa Clara"source
- Notable alum: Khaled Hosseinisource
- Notable alum: Gavin Newsomsource
- Notable alum: Steve Nashsource
- Notable alum: Jerry Brownsource
- Notable alum: Janet Napolitanosource
Athletics — 13 sports
NCAA Division I without football · NCAA Division I
Athletic scholarships allowed · Athletic aid $9,290,191 (M $4,868,082 · W $4,422,109)
- Baseball
- Basketball
- Beach Volleyball
- Cross Country
- Golf
- Rowing
- Soccer
- Softball
- Tennis
- Track and Field (Indoor)
- Track and Field (Outdoor)
- Volleyball
- Water Polo
- Soccer: 2020
Self-reported EADA participants (2024-2025). Athletic aid is institution-level, not per sport.
Key links
- Official websitescu.edu
- College ScorecardFederal source for every figure above (UNITID 122931)
- Compare colleges in CARe-score with your weights
- The Most Selective Colleges in CaliforniaEvery eligible four-year in this state, ranked by published admission rate
- Showdown: Santa Clara University vs Los Angeles Film SchoolHigher-or-lower on real Scorecard metrics — round 1 is these two
- Sports directoryAll 13 EADA programs at this school
- Build an admissions plan8th–12th grade actions for this college — sports, activities, timeline
- MethodologyWhat these figures do and do not capture
- How to read a school page end to endStats, standings, lists, athletics, news — one profile, many jobs. Know which panel answers which question.
- Sticker price is a trapPublished tuition is a starting rumor. Net price is closer to what families actually pay.
- What acceptance rate actually measuresSelectivity is a competition statistic — not a quality score, and not your personal odds.
- A plan from eighth grade — without fake certaintySchool-anchored milestones, sports scarcity honesty, and EC playbooks — not invented admit odds.